Forbidden Love
by stardust n dreams
Summary: A stand alone with an alternate ending that i wrote for a v-day fic exchange! Hermione and Draco are assigned to a DADA project, trouble and love ensue!
1. Forbidden Love

****

A/N…yep, new story, I wrote this one for the valentine's day fic exchange that quite a few of you were also invited to! This is the original that was posted on the thing…as you can see from the prompt at the end, I wasn't allowed to include Voldemort, so I'm writing an alternate ending for it that will be posted as a "Chapter 2" it won't be the entire thing, just a different ending. I hope you like it!

Title: Forbidden Love  
**Summary:** When Hermione and Draco are assigned to work on a Defense Against the Dark Arts project, trouble ensues, along with love.   
**Rating:** R  
**Warning:** Sexual occurrences, and mention of abuse.   
**Author's Note:** Well, this is my best crack at the story I was assigned, hopefully it turns out better than I hope it will. I'm not too sure what the project will be in DADA, but I think I have an idea or two. I decided to make up a new DADA teacher, modeled after my 9th grade English teacher (its pronounced Ruke-a-veen-a). Thanks to whoever assigned this, it's a great prompt. I just hope it turns out like you want it to. The story skips a lot of time, due to time constraints on my own part and not wanting to make this like 400 pages. Sorry. Also, I wanted to finish this story a different way, but since I'm not aloud to include Voldemort, I didn't get to finish it that way. You'll see what I mean when you get to finish reading it.   
  
  
  


****

FORBIDDEN LOVE

  
  
  
"Good day ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome you to my class. I am Professor Rukavina, and I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for this year. I know the history behind Slytherin and Gryffindor, and I expect no arguments between the two houses. Is this understood?"  
  
The class shook their heads, wondering why Dumbledore would let another strange Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher into the school. She was a medium height skinny woman, her hair was cut short, dark brown, and her face was long. She had a mischievous glimmer in her eye as she surveyed the class.  
  
"Now, none of you know me, but, if there was any possible way you could have heard about me, you would know that I am _not_ an easy teacher. My assignments are hard, my tests, even harder. I suggest you study regularly, you never know when I'll pull a next day test. Now, if you don't agree with my opinions, don't voice your own. My opinion rules in this room. Clear?"  
  
"This is going to be a long year." Harry groaned.  
  
"Now, I want you to get out your books and turn to page 195, start reading until you reach page 215. Whatever you don't get done in class, I suggest you do for homework, there will be a class discussion on the material tomorrow."  
  
The sound of paper being shuffled filled the room as books were opened, the sound of groaning followed as the students realized what the pages were on.  
  
"The Unforgivables. Moody covered these in 4th year." Ron muttered, beginning his reading.   
  
"Yes he did Mister Weasly, but I'm going to cover them again. Do you have a problem with that?" She said dangerously.   
  
"No, that's quite alright. I like seeing spiders get killed." He squeaked.  
  
When class was over everyone was in quite an uproar about their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.   
  
"She's the bloody reincarnation of Umbridge!" Ron sighed back in the common room.   
  
"Merlin, Ron don't say that!" Hermione warned.   
  
"Being in class with Malfoy and his cronies is bad enough. But with her! Oh I'll be surprised if I make it through this year." Harry muttered.   
  
"Well Harry, put it this way. She can't get much worse than she already is. She's too old to have to go through menopause. So we don't have to worry about that." Hermione laughed.  
  
"I bloody sure as hell hope so." Muttered Ron.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A few weeks passed, Professor Rukavina didn't seem as horrible as everyone figured her to be. She wasn't the mean, snarky witch she had been on the first day. She was very funny, and very sarcastic, and she _loved_ to irritate Malfoy and his friends, which the trio found hilarious.   
  
About 4 weeks into the term, the students heard about a project that Professor Rukavina was about to assign. No one knew anything about it really, beside the fact that it was a partner project, she hadn't told them anything else.   
  
The subject came up quite frequently at lunch, in the common room, and just about everywhere else. Every 7th year wanted to know what this mystery project was. Especially Hermione.   
  
"I absolutely love her, I think she's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had at this school." She said cheerily, one morning at breakfast.   
  
"And I think you're bloody mad." Ron laughed.   
  
"For once, I agree with the mud…" Draco came up behind Hermione and began to speak until both Ron and Harry glared daggers at him. "For once, I agree with her." He rephrased himself.   
  
"You actually like that witch?" Harry asked, surprised.  
  
"Yes, I do. Her personality matches up with mine. Its just she enjoys making fun of me because she knows Father."  
  
"You're a strange one Malfoy." Ron said to him, receiving a glower from Draco.   
  
"Come on Ron, we have to get to class. Maybe she'll tell us the assignment today." Harry said, pulling his friend, who was having a staring contest with Draco, out of his seat.   
  
Professor Rukavina was at her desk with her hands in a steeple manner, not one much unlike Professor Dumbledore's. She examined the class as they walked in.   
  
"Today, you will receive your projects that I'm sure you have all been dying to hear about." She paused, drawing in the drama of the moment. "It will be a partner project, your partners will be from the other house, this is a project in which you must collaborate with the other person in order to receive full credit. This is a year long project. I will give you a list of things you have to study, and your partner will help you study them. At the end of the year, you will be given a test. This will be a sort of 'obstacle course' if you will. All of the things on the list I gave you will be included. You and your partner must get through the maze safely in order to receive full credit."  
  
The class gaped at her, they would have to work the entire year with the Slytherins (and in the case of the Slytherins, the Gryffindors)?! There had to be a law against that somewhere.   
  
"Now, there will be some dangerous tests in this maze, life threatening even. There may even be an unforgivable or two." She smirked. "You will be fine as long as you work together."   
  
Everyone looked at the teacher as if she were insane, which, she could have been. Draco decided to voice his opinion. "The only Gryffindors I would even trust my life with at all would be Potter or Granger, and that's a far stretch for both of them, you're telling me that I have to work the entire year with one of those fools?!" He cried in outrage.   
  
"Mister Malfoy, you will do as I say and like it." She snapped. "And just for that outcry, I'm going to assign your partner as, Hermione Granger. After all, you said you would trust your life in her hands."  
  
Hermione's jaw dropped. Along with the rest of the class's.  
  
"I have to work with that Mudblood!?" He screamed.  
  
"MISTER MALFOY! Three days detention, you do not use that word in my classroom, no matter who you are." She shrieked.  
  
Hermione sat shocked while Draco sat steaming, this was not possible, what teacher in their right mind would pair the two of them together? Of course, Professor Rukavina wasn't in her right mind at all.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"This is an outrage!" Draco cried at Crabbe and Goyle in the common room, they both sat there with stupid looks on their faces.   
  
"W-well why don't you just tell her you don't want to work with her?" Crabbe asked.   
  
"You idiot Crabbe, she won't let me do that, I already tried anyway. I'll just write a letter to father and ask him, she's a friend of the family."  
  
"Don't think that it will change my mind Draco." Said a cold voice from behind him.   
  
"P-professor Rukavina, why are you in here?"  
  
"To give you your detention assignment. You are to come down to my classroom tonight and you will be writing out your text book word for word for the next three days." She smirked evilly.  
  
"B-but Professor!" He shrieked.   
  
"Good-day Draco." She said, stalking off in a manner much like Professor Snape.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Today, I will be giving you the list of things you will have to face in the maze. This will be all we will be studying this year. You will have reports on some of the things, and others, I just suggest you study." She passed out the paper. "Now, some of these may not be exactly Defense Against the Dark Arts material, but they are things you may come across later in life."  
  
Hermione looked at the paper, there was a list of 20 things, most of them which were familiar but some of them that she had only seen or heard of once or twice. The first on the list were boggarts, Hermione didn't fret about anything on the list with the exception of one thing, the Unforgivable Curses.   
  
"Professor, are any of the curses going to be done on us in the maze?"   
  
"Oh yes, that's what will make it fun! You and your partner must figure out how to fight the Imperius curse. That will be later on in the year." She almost cackled. "Any other questions?"   
  
No one rose a hand, so she kept on with her speech. "Now, as you can see, boggarts are first on the list. I will have a boggart practicing sign up sheet on my desk, those of you smart enough will sign up to come and practice tonight with the boggart. The rest of the class will be devoted to going through with your partners and making a checkmark on your lists of the things you do not know how to deal with. Some of you may have noticed that some of the things on the list have to do with other classes as well, your teachers may instruct you on those later in the year. Now please go with your partners."  
  
Hermione sighed as she got up to go and sit with Draco, he looked at her with resentment as she sat down.   
  
"Draco, before you say anything or start to complain or call me names, I have something to say." She said forwardly, not giving him a chance to even say a word before she sat down.  
  
"Fine, what is it?" He snapped.  
  
"Truce?" She said simply, sticking out her hand for him to shake.   
  
He looked at her hand awkwardly, as if he had no clue what to do with it. "You want me to call a truce with you?"  
  
"Yes, we don't have to be friends, but at least lets get along civilly."  
  
He furrowed his brow before shaking her hand. "Fine, but don't think that this mean's we're friends and you can boss me around or something, because I won't let it happen, I don't want to do this."  
  
"And I don't want to do this anymore than you do Draco, but we have to give it our best shot." She smiled as she sat down. "Now, what ones don't you know?"   
  
He looked at her, appalled again. _She thinks I'm going to tell her that I don't know something? Ha! She needs to keep dreaming._   
  
At the silence, Hermione bent down to look at her list, "I don't know either of these very well." She chirped, circling two of the items on the list.  
  
Draco's expression softened, maybe this wasn't going to be so hard, she actually didn't know everything. "That one." He said, pointing toward one of the things that she had circled.   
  
"Bewixes." She said, reading it and flipping through the pages of her text trying to find out what they were. "An animal that lives in the ground with a large stinger. It eats wix, whatever that is." She tucked her hair behind her ears as she read further, "Its stinger has poison in it that's toxic and if it isn't treated quickly, causes death."   
  
"Joy." Draco sarcastically said, leaning back in his chair and glaring up at the ceiling.   
  
"Well, I suppose we should sign up for tonight, what time is good for you?"   
  
"Whenever, just don't make it too long, I'd rather not have to spend more time than I have to with you." He smirked. Hermione shrugged and walked off, Draco felt a little put out, he had expected her to react differently.   
  
* * * * *  
  
"He's late." Hermione sighed, impatiently tapping her foot on the floor of the classroom. The desks had been cleared away and there was a suitcase with the boggart in it in the middle of the room.   
  
Draco strolled into the room as if nothing was wrong.   
  
"You're late." She growled, her tone softening when he handed her an envelope.   
  
"I was writing." He said nonchalantly. Hermione went to open the letter but he stopped her. "Not yet, read it later once you get back to your dorm."   
  
Hermione looked at him curiously, but stuck the envelope into her pocket. "Ready?"   
  
"I guess," he said, moving toward the suitcase, "You go first."  
  
Hermione went to stand in front of the suitcase, her wand at the ready, not knowing what it would come out as, she had never dealt with a boggart before, she racked her brain for her worst fear, then it hit her, hard.   
  
"Oh Merlin," She whispered as Draco opened the suitcase. Out stepped a figure, a man, a muggle man with curly brown hair much like her own. He came toward her with his fist in the air, ready to strike. "_R-Ri_..." She froze, backing into the wall, forgetting everything as she fell into a heap into the corner.   
  
"_RIDDIKULUS!_" Draco screamed, the man began to melt into a puddle until Draco stepped in front of it, then, it turned into a woman walking in a wedding dress. He looked surprised as he shouted the spell again and it took the shape of a fluffy bunny with a veil over its long ears, he laughed at it, causing it to burst into a million pieces.   
  
Hermione sat huddled in the corner, shaking. Draco ran over to her and knelt down. "Are you alright Hermione?" He said humbly, placing a hand on her shoulder. She pulled away from his touch.   
  
"Y-yes. Fine. I'll be going now." She whispered, getting up and running out of the door and up to girls dormitory.   
  
Draco stood and looked at the door, half expecting her to come back in, she didn't.  
  
"I wonder who in the hell it was that could have scared her that much." He said to the empty room.   
  
* * * * *  
  
"Hermione! Are you alright?" Ginny said, running up and sitting down next to her as she sobbed into the bed. "Did Malfoy hurt you?!" She gasped, realizing where Hermione had been.   
  
"N-no, its nothing Gin. J-just go." She buried her head in the pillow and Ginny rubbed her back.   
  
"Come on Hermione, what's wrong?"   
  
"Nothing! GO!" She shouted, sobbing harder.   
  
Ginny felt hurt as she went back down to the common room to leave Hermione to herself.   
  
* * * * *  
  
Draco put his face in his hands as he sat on his bed. "A woman in a wedding dress?" He whispered to no one in particular.   
  
"What?" A voice said from another bed in the dorm. Blaise Zabini stuck his head out of the curtains in his four poster.   
  
"Nothing." Draco snarled, he hated being interrupted.   
  
"The boggart turned into a woman in a wedding dress did it?" He said in a know it all way.  
  
"I _said_ it was nothing!" He snapped.  
  
Blaise took the opportunity to get up out of bed and go sit on the one across from Draco. "So what is it your afraid of? White dresses? You're family all in one room? Weddings? Or maybe something much deeper. Commitment?" He sneered, loving this.   
  
"Zabini, I suggest you get the hell out of my sight unless you'd like to be hexed into a million pieces."  
  
"Temper, temper." He scolded, getting up and walking back over to his own bed, laughing as he lay back down.   
  
"Bastard." Draco whispered.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione fell asleep crying, her pillow drenched in salty tears. She woke up around 4 and remembered the letter Draco had given her, she took it down to the common room to read. There was no one down there but the almost dead embers of the fire.   
  
_Hermione,   
  
This is for the truce, I swear never to call you any more of those names anymore or anything like that. I feel sort of, key word, sort of, bad for saying all those things to you for the last 6 years. I hope you accept this agreement. Just don't expect me to ever say sorry.   
  
Draco_  
  
Hermione sniffed. "At least he does have some kind of heart deep down in there." She grabbed a blanket and curled up on the chair and fell asleep just as the rest of the embers faded.   
  
When she woke up again, she was glad that it was a Saturday. She snuggled back up into the chair until she felt someone sit down next to her.   
  
"Hermione?" Ginny whispered. "Do you want to talk about it now?"  
  
"Not really, Gin." She said, shaking her head sadly. "But if I ever want to, I'll come to you first."   
  
"Alright."   
  
* * * * *  
  
Later that day, Hermione went down to the library to read, she needed to get her mind off of it. But when she wasn't thinking of the boggart, she was thinking of the way Draco had acted last night. He had touched her, shown compassion, fear even. He had actually cared about someone other than himself for once in his life.   
  
She was reading a little about bewixes when she heard a chair scraping across the floor. She peered up to see Draco sitting across from her.   
  
"Are you alright?" He whispered, looking around to see if anyone could see them.   
  
"Yes, I'm fine." She said, not looking him in the eye.   
  
"What was that last night?"   
  
"Nothing, just a bad memory." She sighed, still not looking at him.   
  
"You're lying."   
  
"It's none of your concern."   
  
"Yes it is, if you can't conquer that fear of whatever it was, we'll both fail this assignment."   
  
"Is that all you care about!? You're grades? I don't think you could handle the truth Draco."  
  
"Come with me." He said, grabbing her by the arm, she didn't resist and got up and walked behind him. He lead her out to a small patch of trees by the lake where there was a bench.   
  
"Now, tell me, I _can_ handle the truth."   
  
"Fine." She looked at the lake before continuing. "That thing last night…was my father. I'm absolutely terrified of him." She stopped, feeling the hot tears brimming in her eyes.   
  
"Why?"   
  
"He beats me and my mother." She sobbed, letting the tears flow again, she had never felt so weak. She looked away from him and he grabbed her chin.  
  
"He beats you?!"  
  
"Y-yes."   
  
"Merlin, Hermione. I don't understand how you can put up this act all this time."  
  
"Studying, reading helps a lot, it keeps it out of my mind."   
  
"I guess we aren't so different after all." He said, looking at the lake.  
  
"What?"   
  
"My father beats me too, just normally with curses and hexes."  
  
"I have to go." She said suddenly, getting up and running off. Running away from her problems was something Hermione did best.  
  
Draco sat, confused at what had just happened.   
  
* * * * *  
  
Weeks later, Draco and Hermione had become closer, not quite to the point of being friends, but at least no more calling each other names or making rude comments about each other. It was winter now, and time to deal with bewixes.   
  
The boggart deal had been forgotten, but Hermione's words still sometimes lingered in Draco's mind.   
  
"_He beats me and my mother._"   
  
Now Draco felt it as a duty to protect the Gryffindor whom he was slowly becoming allies with.   
  
"Today, you and your partners will be reading up on bewixes. The list will be up on my desk for practice times tonight. Read the pages to find out how to conquer the animals." With that, she went back to her desk and sat down and read.   
  
Hermione walked over to Draco's desk, sitting down next to him. "Time for the fun part." She laughed.   
  
Draco looked at her, he loved when she smiled, she looked so pretty. He wasn't afraid to say it anymore in his mind, just showing it in the outside world was the part he was afraid of. He liked Hermione. She was the one person that was easy to talk to, wouldn't judge him, stop him, and she understood what it was like to be abused.   
  
He laughed with her and she got up to sign up for a practice session that night. When she sat back down, Draco caught a whiff of the perfume she always wore, it smelled like strawberries, he loved strawberries.   
  
Hermione on the other hand, was still very shy toward Draco since the incident. She talked to him, but wouldn't show her feelings  
  
"Hermione!" Ron called to her after class, the brunette turned around and smiled at her redheaded friend. "Who are you going to the ball with?"   
  
Hermione gaped at him, she had completely forgotten about the fact that the Yule Ball was coming up. "Oh, I'm not sure if I'm going or not Ron, a lot of studying to do. Why?"  
  
He looked a little put out, "Nothing."   
  
Hermione got the feeling that he had wanted to ask her to the ball, problem was that she just didn't like him that way. She liked Draco.   
  
"Why don't you ask that girl you've been fancying? Janelle, from Hufflepuff." She smiled, his face brightened.   
  
"I think I just might do that."   
  
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she walked out of the classroom talking with Ron, Draco watched her walk out and was suddenly filled with jealousy.   
  
_I thought she liked me!? Then why was she talking to Weasly about the ball? I've got to get her back, I'm not going to lose her to that redheaded mutt._  
  
* * * * *  
  
Draco found Hermione the next day sitting in a hallway by a fireplace reading a book. He went up and sat down next to her.   
  
"How could you do that to me?" He said, his voice almost shaking with anger, but still calm.   
  
"What?" She asked, confused.   
  
"You know exactly what."  
  
"No, I don't Draco. What are you talking about?"  
  
"Going to the Yule Ball with Ron."   
  
"What?" She said, still confused.   
  
"Oh come on Hermione, I heard you talking to him about it."   
  
"That doesn't mean I'm going with him, Draco."  
  
"He asked you to the ball and you said yes, how is that not going with him!?" He cried, his anger rising.   
  
"He asked me, yes, but I didn't say yes. Maybe you just need to stop listening in on our conversations Draco." With that, the witch stood up and turned to face him, and with a snappy, "Good day." She walked off.   
  
"Damn." He cursed.   
  
Hermione stalked up to her room, her stomach churning with anger. "How dare he say that to me! Just for that…" She got up and went down to the common room where Harry and Ron were playing wizard's chess.   
  
"Ron, would you like to go to the ball with me?" She stopped before remembering to add the last two words. "As friends?"  
  
Ron's smile grew wide as he shook his head, "Sure Hermione!"   
  
"Great." She forced a smile before sitting down in another chair to watch the rather violent game finish.   
  
* * * * *  
  
The day of the ball drew near, and Hermione still wouldn't talk to Draco with the exception of in Defense Against the Dark Arts when she had to, but that would only be things about the project. She had told him that she was going with Ron though, that was not a pretty moment.   
  
Draco just stared at her and Hermione got annoyed and repeated herself. "I'm going to the ball with Ron. Don't think I was expecting for you to ask me, so I decided to ask him."  
  
"I thought we had something special Hermione?" He said bitterly before walking out of the classroom.   
  
"We still do, you just don't know it." She whispered, a tear streaking down her face.   
  
The night of the ball, Hermione and Ginny went up to the bathroom to get ready. Ginny was going with Harry, and Hermione, against her own wishes, was going with Ron. She had told Ginny the situation and Ginny had merely laughed.   
  
"I figured you liked Draco, don't worry, I'll keep your secret. Just try not to hurt my brother too bad, please?"  
  
"I won't Ginny." She promised, slipping on her skirt. This year, Dumbledore had allowed the girls to wear muggle dresses and the boys to wear suits. Her dress was a two piece, the bottom was a long red skirt, almost blood red, the top was in a kind of halter top with a low cut neckline and sparkles in an elaborate design across the front.   
  
"You look stunning Hermione." Ginny complimented. Her dress was long and dark green, going beautiful with her hair and eyes.   
  
"You do too." She smiled, slipping the matching gloves up her arms and holding one out for Ginny to take so that they wouldn't slip going down the stairs in those heels.   
  
"Let's go." The redhead smiled at her friend as they walked toward the common room.   
  
Harry and Ron's jaws dropped at the sight of the two girls. "Merlin, you two look amazing," Harry gasped.   
  
Hermione blushed and Ginny giggled, they separated from each other and went to join their own dates. Hermione took Ron's arm lightly as they walked together down to the Great Hall. There were already many couples down there as they found an empty table set for 4 and sat down.   
  
When Draco walked in with some giggling 6th year clinging to his arm, Hermione had to laugh, he had brought that upon himself. Pansy had left of a "broken heart" in 6th year, while the entire school knew that she had been pregnant from some unknown 7th year. She had wanted to make Draco jealous, and yet all she did was make herself pregnant.   
  
Draco looked over and saw Ron and Hermione sitting together, their eyes locked for a moment until she looked away, laughing at something that Ron said. Draco swallowed the lump of anger forming in his throat and found a seat at a table where he had a perfect view of Hermione.   
  
Once the idle chit-chat of dinner was over, the tables were cleared and a band struck up some music, some of it was muggle music, while some was wizard music. The first few songs were faster and Hermione was glad as Ron, Harry, Ginny, and herself danced in a small circle together. She would rather avoid dancing with Ron, although she knew it was inevitable.   
  
Of course, a few songs later, Hermione was feeling a little out of breath as the band struck up a slow song. Ron looked up at her and held out his hand, she put her arms around his neck but stood as far away as possible from him. Then she saw Draco and his date come up and start dancing near them, she felt Draco's eyes on her.  
  
She breathed another sigh of relief as the song ended and a faster song played. "I think I'm going to go get some punch." She said, smiling at Ron and wiping her forehead as if there was sweat on it.   
  
"Alright, I'm going to go try and find Janelle, you don't mind do you? I mean, come on Hermione, I can tell that you don't like me much more than a friend just from that dance." He smiled, hoping she wouldn't take it the wrong way.  
  
Hermione grinned widely and threw her arms around Ron's neck in an embrace. "I'm so glad you realized that Ron, things would just be way too awkward between us. Go and find Janelle, I'm sure that she wouldn't mind ditching her date for you."   
  
Ron ran off and Hermione went to the punch bowl, grabbing a cup from the table and going to sit back down. Draco came up and sat down next to her. She met his gaze.   
  
"Can we talk?" He asked, his eyes pleading.  
  
"What happened to your date?"  
  
"She went off to go dance with Goyle, don't even ask me why." He laughed and Hermione did too, for that, he was glad.   
  
"Fine, but lets go someplace quieter, perhaps outside?" She sighed.   
  
"Alright," He grinned, taking her hand and walking outside to the snow covered grounds.   
  
"Brrr, its so cold." She shivered, rubbing her arms. Draco took off his jacket and put it over her arms as they went to sit down on one of the magically heated benches.  
  
"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"   
  
"I just wanted to say…I-I-I'm sorry." He spit out.   
  
Hermione's lips showed a soft smile, "I thought you said you'd never say you're sorry?" She asked, quoting the letter he had written.  
  
Draco stood up and pulled her up with him, snaking his arms around her waist. "I never thought I'd fall in love with you either, but miracles do happen." He said.  
  
Hermione looked at him in surprise, "What?"  
  
"_Je t'adore, Hermione._ (I love you.)" He whispered.   
  
"_Je t'adore aussi._ (I love you too.)" She said, barely audible.   
  
He pulled her closer to him, his lips coming closer and closer to hers. The wind seemed to blow and stir up the snow into a whirl of sparkles as his lips met hers. He parted her lips with his tongue and it paired with hers in a passionate tango.   
  
Without a word, he scooped her up, marveling at how light she was. Instead of taking her to the castle, he ran with her across the grounds to the green houses.   
  
"Where are you taking me?" She asked, amazed at how fast he was running with her in his arms.   
  
"You'll see."  
  
Hermione gripped his neck tighter, curling up against him as he ran, she could feel his heart racing next to her body as he came to the door of the greenhouse. It was unlocked and he pulled it open, helping her in before shutting and locking it.   
  
"Come with me." He smiled, leading her to one of the farthest greenhouses. She clutched his hand as she walked with him, when she walked in she could smell roses and plenty of muggle flowers. "Professor Sprout's private garden. She lets me take care of it for her, bet you never knew I was good at herbology." He laughed as she walked around the room smelling the roses.   
  
He took the opportunity to go to one of the cabinets in the corner, using _Alohamora_ he opened it, taking out a bottle of champagne. "I also bet you never knew that Sprout had a drinking problem either."   
  
Hermione giggled as he conjured two roses into champagne glasses, filled them, and gave her one. "No, I had no clue about either. But why did you bring me here Draco?"   
  
"To get you smashed enough so that you'll give into having sex with me." He laughed, sitting on one of the benches that littered the greenhouse.   
  
"No, I'm being serious." She smirked, sitting down next to him and taking a sip of her drink. She had had alcohol before, it didn't affect her much. She wasn't as chaste as her parents believed her to be, drinking had helped her when her father began to beat her. Of course she didn't rely on it.   
  
"So am I." The glimmer in his eyes showed as he kissed her again.   
  
"Mister Malfoy," She said jokingly, "Do you really think that I'm going to get so drunk that I'll just let you take complete advantage of me?"  
  
"I can only hope, my lady."   
  
Hermione settled against him, sipping her champagne and relaxing. "Draco, I love you so much, and you know that. I just, I don't feel like I'm good enough for you. I have no magical blood in my veins. And yet you, you are perfect, and pure, and beautiful."  
  
"I could care less if you were a muggle Hermione, you are beautiful in my eyes, and perfect. And you are good enough for me, I feel like I'm not good enough for you, I called you names all those years, and played tricks on you. I'm amazed that we are even where we are now."   
  
She kissed him chastely, her hands running up his chest. "Okay," She sighed.   
  
"What?"  
  
"If I could pick any man to lose my virginity to, it would be you, and only you. And right now, the roses, the champagne, it just seems like all I ever wanted it to be. And of course, no one will ever know, we'll never have to tell if we don't want to. " She whispered, her face flushing.   
  
Draco stood up, nodding, his face firm but smiling softly. He transfigured the bench into a bed, "You didn't think I'd make you lay on the ground did you?" He laughed as she lay back onto the pillow, staring up at the starry sky.   
  
He crawled up on top of her, kissing her deeply. "I love you so much."  
  
Hermione could feel his arousal in his pants and she was curious as to the fact of whether he was as big as he was rumored to be. _Merlin, what am I getting myself into?_ She thought.  
  
He sat up, pulling her up with him, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the crook of her neck while unzipping the zipper in her top and pulling it off over her head. He unsnapped the bra with practiced ease and kissed down her neck until reaching the darkened circles on her chest. Suckling there for a moment then biting, enjoying the small moan that escaped her lips with the action.  
  
He slid his shirt off and Hermione was awed at his muscles that shown through the pale skin. She had to stand up in order for him to unzip the skirt, her panties the only thing shielding her from fate. She went to slip off her shoes, but Draco stopped her.   
  
"Don't, I love a woman in heels." He smirked. Draco took off his belt, throwing it to the floor of the greenhouse, then slid off his pants, his boxers stayed on however, but Hermione looked down with her own curiosity, his arousal was evident in the silken fabric, and a smile touched her lips.   
  
He kissed her once more, pulling her into him, it was a head spinning kiss, the most unbound one yet. Hermione was sure that had she still been standing, she would have collapsed.   
  
"Do you know what you do to me? You're like a drug, intoxicating." She whispered.   
  
Draco was tongue tied, he had no clue what to say. He brought his hands down, barely touching against her skin, with a grace almost like a butterfly. He hooked his fingers around the waistband and with painful slowness, slid it down over her hips, with a little help from the brunette. He then slid off his own boxers and threw them onto the growing pile on the dirt floor of the greenhouse.   
  
Hermione gave into temptation and looked down, _Merlin._  
  
In a swift move, Draco positioned himself above her, coming down to kiss her hard on the lips, he didn't know how much longer he could hold out. When the tip of his erection touched the arousal slicked walls of her body, he knew he had to have her right then. He looked deep into her honey eyes, waiting for a sign of concurrence before going ahead. She took a deep breath before whispering, "Be gentle."   
  
"Of course." He whispered, filled with love for the brunette who he had made fun of all those years, and now, was in complete and endless love with. At that moment she seemed so fragile, so delicate, so…breakable. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew he had to have her.   
  
Hermione held her breath, awaiting the pain she knew had to be coming. When he entered her there was a slight tearing, but it faded with a few salty tears.   
  
"Don't cry, I hate to see you cry."   
  
Hermione nodded, as an assent for him to proceed. His thrusts became quicker while her body clenched around him, he was soaring in her presence. He didn't close his eyes, because she didn't either, but rather watched her angelic face as waves of pleasure passed over it.   
  
Sure, this hadn't been Draco's first time, but none had ever felt as real as this. Soft moans escaped her lips as she rose to her climax, feeling a foreign ball building in her stomach. Draco knew it was coming, so he quickened his momentum to meet hers ensuring that they both would get what they ultimately wanted.   
  
Hermione closed her eyes, feeling the pressure building as Draco sped up even more, but he calculatedly hit that overly sensitive nub at just the right moment, when he was just about to come to his own climax. Hermione felt the white hot waves of ecstasy rolling over her, as her body pulsated, Draco came as well, pouring his essence into her.   
  
He called out her name in a throw of passion then pulled himself out of her, breath going as quickly as his pulse. He rolled over, pulling her with him into a mass of exhausted flesh.   
  
"You are amazing." She whispered, sleep overcoming her.   
  
Draco pulled a blanket over them, hoping that he would wake up early enough to get out of there before Sprout came the next morning. He closed his eyes, pulling this wonderful woman close to him before falling asleep himself. There was a dense condensation on the greenhouse walls and Draco could no longer see the stars in the sky.   
  
The next morning Hermione woke up, feeling a hand on her stomach, she went to turn around when she heard a deep voice. "Good morning beautiful."   
  
Settling back into her lovers arms, she took a deep breath. "Good morning."  
  
"We should get out of here before Sprout comes." He said.  
  
"What about our clothes? All we have are our dress clothes."  
  
"No, the house elves apparently come to the greenhouses too." He smirked, sitting up and handing Hermione her dress on a hanger, cleaned and pressed, along with a set of fresh clothes. She smiled, putting on the clothes he had handed her, watching him put on his own.   
  
Draco transfigured the bed back to its original form, then cleaned up the wine glasses and champagne.   
  
"How are we going to get back, we'd look a little strange coming across the grounds with our dress clothes in hand and our hair all mussed."  
  
"There's a passage in the second greenhouse we can go through, leads right up to one of the bottom classrooms. No one uses that class ever, too drafty."   
  
"Alright." She grabbed her dress and followed him out to the greenhouse, then down into the tunnel. It was dank and dusty, and Draco lit his wand to lead the way. Once they reached the trapdoor, they stopped to listen for voices, incase anyone happened to be in the room. It was quiet, so Draco opened the door and looked around, then once he realized it was empty, pulled himself up. Holding his hand down he pulled the brunette up into the darkened classroom.   
  
"Well, I suppose we'll have to explain ourselves to our friends." She smiled.  
  
"Wait, shhhh." He hushed her, pulling her into a darkened corner of the room. "Listen."   
  
Hermione heard voices of older men outside the door of the classroom. "I don't think there's anyone left we haven't found. Most of them died in the explosion."  
  
Hermione felt a lump form in her throat. Explosion? "Draco, we should go out there."  
  
"They could be Death Eaters!" He gasped as the door opened and a bright light shown into the room, there were men dressed in suits, so Hermione had to guess they were Ministry officials and not Death Eaters.   
  
"How did you kids get down here?"   
  
"Better question sir, why are you here?" Draco asked, stepping out into the light.  
  
"Y-you don't know?" The official asked, surprised.   
  
"Know what?" Hermione squeaked, her heart racing to her throat.  
  
"Come with us."  
  
The two lovers followed the men out of the dungeons and up into the Great Hall, they saw Ministry officials everywhere, running about frantically. There were a few students talking to them, and a few teachers.   
  
"What happened?" Draco asked, too calmly for the situation.  
  
"There was an explosion, some student decided to bring some kind of a muggle alcohol, mixed with a magical concoction to the ball and he set it too near the flames on one of the tables. It exploded and killed almost half of the students and staff." A new official said, shaking his head sadly.   
  
"Oh Merlin." Hermione sobbed, falling into Draco's chest, he looked at the official with disbelief.   
  
"Who did survive?" Draco asked.  
  
"The most of them are up in their houses packing their things. They're sending everyone home."   
  
"I'd better go and make sure everyone's alright." Hermione sniffed, running up the stairs and to the 7th floor where the Gryffindor Tower was. Draco watched her sadly as she went before turning to the official.   
  
"Did Harry Potter survive?" He asked.  
  
The man sighed and ran a hand across his pepper gray hair. "No, I'm afraid the Boy Who Lived, is gone forever."   
  
Draco looked at the floor, then back to the door that Hermione had run through.   
  
Hermione went up into the common room, searching frantically around the room for a sign of anyone she knew, she saw Ginny in the corner gripping onto Ron and sobbing. She ran over to the redheads.   
  
"Oh Merlin, where's Harry?" She cried, looking around wildly for her friend, her question just made Ginny sob harder and Ron shake his head sadly, a tear running down his cheek.   
  
"He's…gone." He whispered.   
  
Hermione fell into Ron's arm and cried along with Ginny. There were a few muffled screams that echoed through the common room and Hermione looked up to see Draco walking toward her. She turned around to face him.   
  
"He's gone…"  
  
"I know, I know." He hugged her, stroking her hair as she sobbed. "Please Hermione, don't cry. Remember, I'll always be with you, no matter how much we go through, we can withstand anything."  
  
"I love you Draco." She whispered, sniffling and drying her tears.   
  
"I love you too. Just remember, forbidden love with withstand the test of time."  
  
"_Amour interdit._" She whispered. "Forbidden love."  
  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
The following fic is in response to **Fic Request #110** which stated the following conditions:  
  
**Rating(s) of the Fic:** R  
  
**3-5 Things to Include in the Fic:**  
1. Draco and Hermione to work together on a DADA project in 7th year  
2. Yule Ball and a kiss in the snow  
3. Mild sex and champagne  
4. A mix-up or misunderstanding  
5. A bittersweet ending  
  
**What Not to Include in the Fic:**  
femmeslash, pure fluff, Pansy/Draco, Harry/Hermione, Draco/Ginny, Ron/Hermione Dobby/anyone, Lucius, Narcissa, or Voldemort.   
  
* * * * *


	2. Alternate Ending

A/N…this is the alternate ending…it starts with the same dialogue as before so you can figure out where I started! 

_.~^~._.~*~._.~^~._

"How are we going to get back, we'd look a little strange coming across the grounds with our dress clothes in hand and our hair all mussed."  
  
"There's a passage in the second greenhouse we can go through, leads right up to one of the bottom classrooms. No one uses that class ever, too drafty."   
  
"Alright." She grabbed her dress and followed him out to the greenhouse, then down into the tunnel. It was dank and dusty, and Draco lit his wand to lead the way. Once they reached the trapdoor, they stopped to listen for voices, incase anyone happened to be in the room. It was quiet, so Draco opened the door and looked around, then once he realized it was empty, pulled himself up. Holding his hand down he pulled the brunette up into the darkened classroom.   
  
"Well, I suppose we'll have to explain ourselves to our friends." She smiled.  
  
"Wait, shhhh." He hushed her, pulling her into a darkened corner of the room. "Listen."   
  
Hermione heard voices of older men outside the door of the classroom. "I don't think there's anyone left we haven't found. Most of them died in the initial explosion."  
  
Hermione felt a lump form in her throat. Explosion? "Draco, we should go out there."  
  
"They could be Death Eaters!" He gasped as the door opened and a bright light shown into the room, there were men dressed in suits, so Hermione had to guess they were Ministry officials and not Death Eaters.   
  
"How did you kids get down here?"   
  
"Better question sir, why are you here?" Draco asked, stepping out into the light.  
  
"Y-you don't know?" The official asked, surprised.   
  
"Know what?" Hermione squeaked, her heart racing to her throat.  
  
"Come with us."  
  
The two lovers followed the men out of the dungeons and up into the Great Hall, they saw Ministry officials everywhere, running about frantically. There were a few students talking to them, and a few teachers.   
  
"What happened?" Draco asked, too calmly for the situation.  
  
"There was a death eater attack, they came in toward the end of the ball. Killed almost everyone, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and almost three fourths of the students." A new official said, shaking his head sadly.   
  
"Oh Merlin." Hermione sobbed, falling into Draco's chest, he looked at the official with disbelief.   
  
"Who did survive?" Draco asked.  
  
"The most of them are up in their houses packing their things. They're sending everyone home."   
  
"I'd better go and make sure everyone's alright." Hermione sniffed, running up the stairs and to the 7th floor where the Gryffindor Tower was. Draco watched her sadly as she went before turning to the official.   
  
"Did Harry Potter survive?" He asked.  
  
The man sighed and ran a hand across his pepper gray hair. "No, I'm afraid the Boy Who Lived, is gone forever. Voldemort took and killed him himself is what I've heard. Such a tragedy."   
  
Draco looked at the floor, then back to the door that Hermione had run through.   
  
Hermione went up into the common room, searching frantically around the room for a sign of anyone she knew and there weren't many people there at all. She saw Ginny in the corner gripping onto Ron and sobbing. She ran over to the redheads.   
  
"Oh Merlin, where's Harry?" She cried, looking around wildly for her friend, her question just made Ginny sob harder and Ron shake his head sadly, a tear running down his cheek.   
  
"He's…gone." He whispered.   
  
Hermione fell into Ron's arm and cried along with Ginny. There were a few muffled screams that echoed through the common room and Hermione looked up to see Draco walking toward her. She turned around to face him.   
  
"He's gone…"  
  
"I know, I know." He hugged her, stroking her hair as she sobbed. "Please Hermione, don't cry. Remember, I'll always be with you, no matter how much we go through, we can withstand anything."  
  
"I love you Draco." She whispered, sniffling and drying her tears.   
  
"I love you too. Just remember, forbidden love with withstand the test of time."  
  
"_Amour interdit._" She whispered. "Forbidden love."

_.~^~._.~*~._.~^~._

a/n…not much different, but that is how I wanted to end it! I hope you liked it! 


End file.
